Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party

Porter Creek, Mpls, MN
Tasted Sunday, December 2, 2012 by rocknroller with 679 views

Introduction

This was the annual holiday party for our monthly tasting group. About 24 of us gathered at Porter Creek to enjoy company, food, and some really nice wines. There were 3 tables of 8 with some sharing of bottles from other tables. Wines were paired to a mix of shared appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

Flight 1 - Starter Sparkler (1 Note)

  • NV Mumm Napa Brut Prestige 89 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Light gold color. Drank 2 glasses as an appertif. As always a solid performance. The fruit is bright, showing nice baked pear notes with green apple, some yeast, and mineral complete the nose. The palate brings a medium weight, green tree fruit and some citrus, along with decent minerality, medium to slightly denser bubbles, and a medium finish.

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Flight 2 - Table 3 Wines (10 Notes)

  • 2009 Domaine Ostertag Muscat Fronholz 87 Points

    France, Alsace

    Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 20-30 minutes. I enjoyed the nose on this wine. I dare say it was more restrained than many, and I do mean that in a good way. There is a brightness to the sweet fruit with a nice mix of tropicals including lychee, apricots, and citrus. The florals were not so overpowering or pungent. However the palate fell flat and short for me. It just seemed dull and lacking any zest, short finish. Better to just smell and enjoy that way. 86-87pts.

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  • 2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses 91 Points

    France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru

    Pale gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. The nose had a nice, distinctly earthiness on the front end, that did diminish somewhat with aeration, along with notes of pear, lemon, citrus, light minerals. The palate was fairly crisp showing the same pear and lemon notes, round, but almost delicate on the palate with less minerality than expected. This was quite nice, but I will say I was expecting something more moving. 91+pts.

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  • 2010 Porter Creek Chardonnay Old Vine George's Hill 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    I didn't drink a lot of this. Nose was oaky, nuts, butterscotch. The palate was oak, butterscotch, with toast and there was a bitter edge on the finish.

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  • 1998 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée 95 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Dark red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. This was gorgeous, and great to see another bottle that was totally rocking. The nose was ridiculously perfumed with earth, funk, florals, mushroom, smoke, cedar, red licorice, cherry and bright berries. I could smell that all night and be quite happy. But the palate would not lack tonight. It too was beautiful. Velvety in the mouth, medium body, layered red fruits of raspberry, cherry, and currants, along with minerals, smoke, cigar tobacco, earth, spices, well integrated tannins, and a very long finish. Probably my WOTN with the '96 Mondavi nipping at its heals.

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  • 2003 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d'Ampuis 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie

    Very dark red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Fairly primary and introverted to start but does open pretty nicely with time to reveal black cherries, dark berry, vanilla, oak, plum, with some caramel later adding a sweetness to the nose as well. The palate was also fairly primary, thick and dense, showing deep dark fruits of blackberry and black cherry, cigar, tar, smoky. Spice and pepper on the medium finish. Tannins are fairly round. This could evolve nicely. 92(+)pts.

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  • 1996 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Very dark red color. Savored 1 glass over an hour. This wine has soared every time I've had it, just gorgeous. The nose is perfumed with earth and violets, lovely creme de cassis, mulberry, cedar, graphite. The palate is lush, velvety, elegant, nicely structured, layered, beautiful cassis and mulberry, mixing with graphite, spice, chocolate and transitioning to a long finish. Refined, perfectly balanced. Outstanding.

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  • 1997 Jarvis (California) Winery Lake William 88 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Very dark red color. Nose has a distinctly blackberry liqueur aroma, plum tart, tar, oak. The palate was dark and dense, but the fruit was faded, blackberry liqueur, tar, anise, shorter finish.

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  • 2000 Dominus Estate 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Dark red, borderline very dark red color. Pop and pour, drank 1 glass over an hour. Loved the nose, open and earthy, minerals, dusty, cherry, plum, focused, pencil lead, leather. The palate was more vibrant and energetic than my last bottle, medium bodied, elegant, dusty minerals, graphite, licorice, leather, cherry. The tannins seem much more resolved and integrated as well. Long finish. Best bottle to date. 93+pts.

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  • 2005 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Cuvée Le Paon 93 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

    Medium gold color. Drank one glass over 30 minutes. Nose just oozes with tropical fruit, pineapple, pear, apricot, spices, somewhat candied. The palate is big and fat, honeyed and viscous, sweet, ripe fruit of pear, pineapple, apricot, some quince spice. As good as this is, for me I though this was clearly more cloying, not showing the same degree of acid and spice notes to balance the sweetness compared to the St. Cate. The finish is long, intense, and sweet. Some favored this, but I loved the acid and complexity in the Cate significantly more. 92-93pts.

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  • 2005 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Clos de Sainte Catherine 95 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon

    Medium gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. This was just gorgeous all the way around. The nose was oozing and expressive with beautiful tropical fruits, pear, apple, pineapple, peach, honey, mango followed by spice and floral notes. The palate was vibrant, rich, creamy, layered with consistent fruit notes and adding some coconut. There was nice acidity and spice giving this much better delineation and focus. Incredibly long and powerful. This was in mind simply amazing. I heard one comment suggesting some alcohol showing, but I did not see that at all. Loved it.

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Flight 3 - Mix of Wines from Tables 1 & 2 (7 Notes)

These were generally all small pours.

Closing

Thanks to Craig, aka Chablis28, for all the work he does putting these events together all year long. This was a blast, and I will certainly say that table 3 rocked with their wines.

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